توقيع ميثاق المياه العالمي وانطلاق أعمال المنظمة العالمية للمياه من الرياض

Under the patronage of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and in the presence of Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, along with wide local and international participation, the international ceremony for signing the charter for the accession of countries to the World Water Organization was held today, marking the launch of the organization's activities from its headquarters in Riyadh.

At the beginning of the ceremony, the Foreign Minister conveyed the welcome and appreciation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and his Crown Prince to the guests of the Kingdom from the participating countries and organizations in the signing ceremony, highlighting the importance of the World Water Organization in addressing water issues globally in a comprehensive manner, and the necessity of working collectively to support and achieve common goals, affirming that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will continuously work with partners to achieve the targets set by the organization through financial and logistical support for the next five years.

In his speech during the ceremony, he stated, "The launch of the World Water Organization comes as a confirmation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's commitment to enhancing international initiatives and addressing global challenges through partnerships based on mutual cooperation between countries and governments," indicating that the Kingdom looks forward to making the organization an inclusive international platform that promotes sustainable solutions and supports developing countries in enhancing their water capabilities.

He added, "The Kingdom, based on its commitment to achieving the targets of Vision 2030, has made water resource management a national priority that adopts a comprehensive approach to enhancing global partnerships and effectively contributing to international issues to support the stability and development of communities," calling on all United Nations member states and private sector institutions to join the organization to make it a practical and comprehensive platform for addressing water challenges and finding innovative and sustainable solutions for the water sector worldwide.

For his part, the Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, Engineer Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadli, affirmed that the signing of the charter of the World Water Organization and the launch of its activities from Riyadh enhances the shared international responsibility for preserving water resources, adding that the importance of the organization lies in the fact that water is not only a resource but also a source of economic and social development and stability worldwide.

He explained that the organization is not just a platform that brings countries together but a shared global mind that works on developing and integrating the efforts of countries and organizations to address water challenges comprehensively, supporting technical solutions, scientific research, and facilitating financing to enhance transparency in water management, affirming the pioneering leadership role that the Kingdom plays in launching ambitious global initiatives.

Al-Fadli pointed out that the World Water Organization is a tool for leading international efforts to face water challenges and change the traditional mindset in its management, noting that the challenges are not limited to water scarcity but also include providing it at the right time and place, and its impact on the global economy, human health, food security, and supply chains, amid climate changes and related disasters, emphasizing the importance of having integrated services that include production, transportation, storage, distribution, treatment, and reuse, and the necessity of adopting innovative economics based on cost-benefit analysis, new financing models, and reducing reliance on government support, with active participation from the private sector.

He pointed out the importance of creating an attractive investment environment by reducing risks, adopting guaranteed privatization models, supporting engineering research and environmentally friendly technologies from green funds, and adapting financing and engineering models to the specificities of each country, to make water a driver of growth and accelerate the pace of global solutions within the concept of a circular economy and utilizing unconventional resources.

The ceremony witnessed the signing of the charter of the World Water Organization by representatives of the founding countries (the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Spain, the Hellenic Republic "Greece," Senegal, Pakistan, and Mauritania), in addition to a visual presentation introducing the organization's goals and priorities.

It is worth mentioning that the World Water Organization represents a turning point in the course of international cooperation on water issues through research and development programs, enhancing the exchange of experiences, and innovating qualitative solutions that enhance the sustainability of water resources worldwide, aiming to strengthen the efforts of countries and organizations to address water challenges comprehensively, through the exchange and enhancement of technical experiences, innovation, research, and development, and enabling the establishment of priority qualitative projects and facilitating their financing in pursuit of ensuring the sustainability of water resources and enhancing opportunities for everyone to access them.